“People weren’t getting paid, especially the purveyors,” said an insider.

Mullane, who could not be reached, has been bought out by Escallier, who will rename it Lori Restaurant & Wine Bar at the 75 Main St. location.

Taking over the kitchen is noted chef Michael Meehan.

* Trader Joe’s, the California-based specialty supermarket that just opened in Union Square, has the competition so nervous that a meeting was called at the local Whole Foods store to strategize over the situation.

“It was more of a damagecontrol situation,” said one local merchant, who did not discuss the details of the gathering. “I’ve seen people lined up outside the store to get in. It was pretty unnerving.”

Now we hear that Trader Joe’s has set its sights on Brooklyn, where a lease is about to be signed in the Park Slope area, not far from the planned Whole Foods at Third Street and Third Avenue.

* As if Jean-Georges Vongerichten didn’t have enough irons in the fire. Now the uberchef will headline as a host of the Central Park Conservancy’s “Taste of Summer” benefit. The event, held under a tent in the park on June 7, will feature food from several restaurants, including Osteria del Circo, Fred’s at Barneys, and Tavern on the Green. Tickets (at $350) are available at (212) 310-6691.

* Congratulations to New York’s Drew Nieporent, whose new Louisville, Ky., restaurant Proof on Main has received four stars (out of four) from the Courier-Journal.

“Get your reservations now for the Kentucky Derby,” quipped Nieporent.